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by Aojiroi Emura
Summary: Vanille and Fang have been freed. Serah is safe and Lightning is back. With Caius on his last fight. BAD AT SUMMARIES. Hope x Vanille


_Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING. All Characters and locations in this fanfiction are sole property of Square Enix. _

_Video Game:_ Final Fantasy XIII-2

_Rated:_ T

_Words:_ 1,367

ONE-SHOT

"Vanille! Look out!" she heard Hope's voice ring out. Before she knew what was happening though, the red headed Oerbain felt herself being pushed out of the way.

Stumbling to the ground; she tried to get a sense of what had just happened. However, the small yelp was all she needed.

Her eyes widened as her voice caught her throat. Hope had taken the blade. A blade that was meant for her. His murderer loomed over him like a demon in the night. Giving her a satisfied smirk, he ripped the blade out; leaving Hope to let out another agonizing cry. Ignoring his fallen prey, Caius moved on to his next victim – Noel Kriess.

With Caius gone, Vanille's body began to shake. The boy she'd been waiting for, for 500 years, was dying. The air seemed to thicken around her. Her eyes stung with the tears she'd been trying to hold back while her body itself was shaking from her rage.

"H-hope!" Vanille finally screamed out as she shakenly got to her feet. Her heart beat pounded in her chest as the fight going on around them seemed to vanish. Making her way to him she felt her knees buckle. Picking him up she held him in her arms as he eyes took him all in; her tears finally falling.

"Hope," she called out through them . Opening his eyes at his name he looked up at her as he shot her a forced smile, "I'll be fine. You need to go help the others." He tried to tell her. His face clearly giving away his pain. Shaking her head stubbornly, she ran a hand through his platinum hair.

"No, I won't leave you," she sobbed out as she laid her head down on his chest. Her tears soaking the front of his Academy jacket. "I've…I've been waiting for you, Hope. It's not supposed to be like this."

Raising a hand, he placed his left hand on the back of her head. His eyes were beginning to glaze over; however he could still hear the battle raging on. Everyone was together again. Lightning and Noel, Serah and Snow, Sazh and Dajh. And lastly Vanille and Fang. They were all there fighting for the future.

"Don't worry," he finally gasped out as his breathing began to go unsteady. "You all will …keep the timeline safe. So it's ok."

Raising her tear stained face up towards him. "No…it's… it's not ok at all!" She cried out to him as she shook her head and closed her eyes as the tears continued to fall down her cheeks.

"It… is… because, I know you'll find me," he added with a hopeful smile. "No matter when you are. We'll always be together."

—

The battle was finally over. They'd managed to preserve the future and stop Caius' ultimate goal. However, that victory came at a price. A price they'd never forget.

"He didn't make it…" Lighting cursed under her breath as the ex-l'cie made their way over to their fallen friend. Hope laid where he fell, while Vanille continued to hold him in her arms; her cheeks strained with her overflowing tears.

"Damnit!" Fang hissed through clenched teeth; Snow looked down an gritted his own. While Serah raised a hand to her mouth as his name escaped it.

"After everything he did, the kid didn't even get to live…" Sazh mumbled out as he covered Dajh's eyes. They all felt their hearts shatter. It was an event none of them could have foreseen. Taken by their grief, they didn't notice the new time gate that had appeared.

"The gate, kupo!" Mog finally called out as he flew over by Serah's head practically calling for her attention.

"What is it, Mog?" she asked him as her head shot over towards the newly formed gate, "005 AF? Does that mean that's where we'll be living now." Serah found herself saying.

"Looks like it." Lightning replied as she turned her attention away from Hope and took a step closer to the gate.

"Guess so. I was told once the timelines fixed, the gates will vanish. After that, everyone will stay where the y are." Noel added.

"Well then, I guess we better get going," Sazh replied as he took hold of Dahj's hand as he gave Hope one last look, "I don't know about you all but I know one pilot who's had enough of all this time travel business"

"I hear yeah!" Noel replied as his eyes fell on the Oerbian, who still sat by Hope's unmoving body as it finally began to disperse into Valhalla. Following the future boy's eyes, Snow rubbed the back of his head as he removed his hand from Serah's shoulder.

"Come on Vanille," he said to her as he held out a hand, "If we're really going to 005 AF, Hope'll be there waiting."

Hearing his words she wiped some tears from her face and gave a small nod, "Ok."

"Good girl," Fang commented as took hold of her sister's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Everyone ready?" Noel asked. Watching as everyone nodded they passed through the gate.

—

"Lunch time!" Lebreau called out from the steps on NORA house. It had only been a few hours since their arrival into the year 005 AF. Upon arrival many things had happened. For starters, Noel bid his farewell as he too, faded away before their eyes.

Then shortly after Sazh and Dajh headed out on their with the promise that they would visit NORA house whenever they were in the area. Serah, upset about Noel's disappearance, still went with Snow and Lightning to start planning her wedding ceremony. Thus, leaving Fang and Vanille sitting on the dock in New Bodhum.

"Chin up, missy," Fang told her with a gentle smile as she put an arm around her sister. "Hope wouldn't want to see you like this."

"I can't help it Fang! I just… I can't get his face out of my head. The way he looked when Caius…" she began as her voice began to catch as shivers ran down her spin. It was a scene she never wanted to see again. A scene that was enough to break her heart and crush all the dreams she'd had in her 500 year sleep.

Their conversation was soon cut short though as Serah made her way to the egde of the pier. Reaching her friends she doubled over and caught her breath before looking over at Vanille a smile on her face.

"Vanille! Hope… Hope is here!"she gasped. "Maqui said he saw him by the village gate."

Hearing her words, Vanille's heart beat picked up as her eyes glassed over for a bit; while an uncontrollable smile spread across her lips. Getting to her feet without much of a thought she started to run. Her destination, the village gate.

After a few minutes of running, she saw the village gate up ahead while a 19 year old Hope stood talking with one of the NORA guards. Coming to a stop, Vanille caught her breath as her emerald eyes fixed on the boy before her.

Hearing her catch her breath, Hope's attention slowly migrated her way, clearly not expecting to see her.

"Va-Vanille!" he stammered out as their eyes met one another's. _How is this even possible? _He thought to himself; his mouth a gape.

Feeling her tears well up, a large smile crossed her lips. "Hope…" she managed to get out between the full blown sobs she was beginning to make. Not waiting a second longer she charged at him and threw her arms around his torso in a lung crushing grip.

"Wh-whoa!" Hope called out in surprise as he felt the wind get knocked out of him. "Va-Vanille… how ar-" However, before he could finish his sentence, he heard her mumble into his chest.

"I'm home," as her arms seemed to tighten around him. It was almost like a dream. A dream that even he wasn't sure of how it came to be.

Last time he'd checked things, Fang and Vanille were still sleeping inside the crystal pillar, yet here she was. Safe in his arms. Seeing the others watching from the steps of NORA house he let out a soft smile, his chin resting atop her head as his free hand fell on her back.

"Welcome home"


End file.
